Where do you Yoga/Beach/Spa/Getaway?: The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas Edition

The Ritz-Carlton is claiming punch pin after punch pin on our dream yoga vacation map. We've heard great things about their St. Thomas location, it's Motion Studio and the complementary daily yoga class but let's be honest, you had me at...

Zumba at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas
In addition to introductory and intermediate yoga classes available to guests through out the week, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas now offers Zumba classes in the resort’s Motion Studio. Combining Latin rhythms with easy to follow moves, Zumba is an exhilarating program designed to energize, burn calories and inspire you to love your workout. Morning and afternoon classes are available throughout the week, and one class per day is included complimentary with the resort fee. Our instructor tailors the music selections to blend hip hop, Greek, Arabic, salsa and a number of other styles to create an hour-long class that has become the most popular fitness class at the resort.

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Where do you Yoga/Beach/Spa/Getaway?

Our lives get complicated and we go to Yoga. Because on the mat, everything is simple.

In fact we go to yoga no matter what but this week we've decided it's time. Time to get away. To a place where we only ever have to use one of three required verbal ques for all of our communications.

1)"Yes, I would like a complimentary smoothie."

2)"Could you tie up my Bikini before I go for a swim?"

3) "Is it time for ocean view yoga yet?"

Today we looked into the Ritz Carlton Puerto Rico where the Spa Director IS the Yoga Instructor. We think this will require even less effort to get our needs met and LOOK at these pictures!!! I took one of the most intense yoga classes of my LIFE at the Ritz Carlton Georgetown (and you know, the Ritz, is well, the Ritz. So EVERYTHING tends toward AMAZING) In shopping for this vacation specifically, we are looking deeply into the theory behind the yoga program and or spa treatments. We've shared some of what we learned about The R-C Puerto Rico and their yoga program below.

Yoga Practice
Hatha Yoga Practice for all levels of experience. Classes include centering, breath-work (pranayama), warm-ups, postures (asanans), relaxation, and closing meditation. You are guided to move at your own pace, honoring your body's needs in each and every movement. Improve strength, endurance, and flexibility. Develop physical, mental, and emotional balance. Practice is based on loving-kindness, compassion, self-acceptance, and non-judgment.

Increase Energy – Reduce Stress Wellness Consultation
Tap Into Your Unlimited Source of Perfect Health and Well-being. Ayurveda (Science of Life), Yoga’s sister science, is a system based on natural healing through strengthening the body, mind and spirit and allowing the body's own natural healing mechanisms to work to their fullest potential. The daily routine is called the Dinacharya. This daily routine is one of the best things we can do to stay in balance, prevent disease and is considered a stronger healing force than any other curative medicine. The reason for this is that the healthy and happy state is the most natural state.

Kimberly Rossi, 500 RYT
Kimberly has been teaching fitness for over 18 years in leading health clubs and recognized spas across the US and in Europe . Her expertise has been working with all levels of experience, making things easy to follow, safe, and comfortable for the beginner, and leading those with experience to their edge, creating a deeper, more meaningful practice. She is a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and a Certified Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Consultant by Kripalu Center for Health. She is currently the Spa Director for The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan

Hopping into EVERYTHING with Havaianas

Fishing. Bike Riding. Yoga. Babysitting. Walking in the woods. My Havaianas are taking me everywhere this spring. Not since the days of living in the Indonesian archipelago or vacationing in Colorado have I so deliriously dipped into every whisper of adventure that nuzzled my ear. After 20 miles on the bike yesterday my bum is exhausted but my feet are (still) adorably adorned with these toe feathers.

This season the "Slim Peacock" is populating the pages of yoga catalogues and flip flopping all over the mulch on the play ground. (You should see how adorable they are on the seven year old girl who I babysit for.) For women's sandals (or kid's) the easiest, chic-est way to go toe to toe with adventure this summer is to go Havaianas.

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Products in this post were provided at no cost for editorial review.

LOVE the New LOFT

Girls!!!! I have moved out of my little Chapel Hill writer's apartment and into the most amazing flat just a few short miles down the road. My Internet took a few weeks to find the new location so please forgive my absence.

Finally settled into the new place, tonight I rest my imagination within the deeply creative pages of the look book for the LOFT Spring 2010 collection and it's AMAZING. Not simply because the models are often shown with artful piles of hair atop their head (mimicking my favorite personal style) but also because it's full of rich pieces - pieces one used to only be able to find at hip boutiques or anthropologie in their earlier days.

The two pieces LOFT sent to accompany the spiral bound book are, aptly, look-defining pieces. Pieces that express a hidden part of your personality and attach it to your appearance like a magnate which draws similarly expressive pieces to you. The gold cuff (featured above) adds an unmistakable Greek goddess strength to any look while the floral scarf welcomes spring in an classic Audrey kind of way. In other words, I ADORE.....

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Pieces mentioned in this post were provided at no cost for editorial review.